SINAI MONASTERY OF ST. CATHERINE
This Orthodox monastery is located in the south of the Sinai Peninsula - in the Phanar oasis, which is called the “emerald of Sinai”. This comparison is caused by the beauty of the flowering region, shaded by the harsh grandeur of the rocky mountains that frame it with their pointed peaks. A few tens of kilometers from Phanar, between three separate mountains - Horeb, Moses and St. Epistimia - the holy monastery is located. On the territory of the monastery there is the Burning Bush, in which the Lord appeared to Moses: “And he saw that the thorn bush was burning with fire, but the bush did not burn up. Moses said: I will go and look at this great phenomenon, why the bush does not burn up. The Lord saw that he was coming to watch, and God called to him from the midst of the bush and said: Moses! Moses! He said: here I am! (Lord!)” (Ex. 3, 4).
In an effort to be closer to God and to escape persecution by Roman pagans, monks began to settle on the Sinai Peninsula already in the 3rd century. And in the first half of the 4th century. The monks turned to Equal-to-the-Apostles Queen Helen, the mother of Emperor Constantine, seeking her support. And in 330, at her command, a small church was erected near the Burning Bush in honor of the Mother of God - on the very place where the “flaming thorn tree” grew, where God spoke with Moses and told him the 10 commandments; and the tower is a refuge for the monks in case of raids by nomads. The monastery itself was founded during the reign of Emperor Justinian, who ordered the construction of powerful walls around the church and tower. The main entrance to the monastery was made on the western side, and above it there was a loophole through which boiling water or boiling oil could be poured on the attackers. Now this entrance is closed, but to the left of it there is another, smaller one - which is what they currently use.
The Burning Bush grows here
The monastery walls were erected by the architect Stefanos, who built a new church in the northern part of the monastery, also dedicated to the Mother of God. The Chapel of the Burning Bush, erected by Queen Helen Equal to the Apostles, became part of the new church, built of granite in the form of a basilica. Above the wooden entrance doors there is an inscription: “This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous will enter into them” (Ps. 117:20).
There were 12 columns installed along the church - according to the number of months, and above each column there was an icon with images of saints whose memory is celebrated in a given month. The altar of the Chapel of the Burning Bush is built not over the relics of the holy martyrs (as is usually done), but over the roots of the “unburnt thorn tree.” To do this, we even had to replant the bush, and now it grows a few meters from the chapel.
A few decades after the construction of the church, also dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, an amazing mosaic was created - the Transfiguration of the Lord. Its creators were, apparently, the monks themselves, and the church began to be called “The Transfiguration of Christ the Savior.” And the monastery received its name in honor of St. Catherine, who was born in Alexandria into a princely family.
“She was distinguished by her extraordinary beauty and wisdom, mastered many sciences and knew several foreign languages. Many noble young men wooed her, but she wished to choose someone equal to herself in beauty and learning. And when I became acquainted with the teachings of Jesus Christ, I decided to become a Christian. Emperor Maximian, captivated by the beauty and intelligence of Saint Catherine, proposed that she marry him. But the girl refused, because she is the bride of Christ. The emperor summoned all the scientists to compete with her, but she defeated them and converted 50 of the most learned pagans to Christianity. They were all burned, and Saint Catherine, by order of the emperor, was subjected to torture: first they beat her with ox sinews, and then tied her to a wheel. But a miracle happened - the wheel fell apart.
And humiliated by the wise advice and unshakable firmness of Saint Catherine, the wicked torturer, after the most sophisticated tortures, ordered her head to be cut off. Before her death, Saint Catherine prayed that her body would not fall to the tormentors, and then, according to legend, the angels transferred it to Mount Sinai, where it rested for more than 200 years, and then the monks found the relics and transferred them to the monastery.”
The monastery, surrounded by high and strong walls, is an irregular tetragon and looks more like a fortress than a monastic monastery. In former times, its gates were always locked, because the monastery was repeatedly attacked by nomadic Bedouins. They also attacked pilgrims heading to the monastery, but later this evil was stopped by the energetic actions of the Egyptian authorities.
According to legend, in 625 the monks of St. Catherine's Monastery sent a delegation to Medina to secure the patronage of the Prophet Muhammad. A copy of the safe conduct exhibited in the icon gallery states that Muslims undertake to protect the monks. The monastery was also exempt from paying taxes, and legend says that the Prophet Muhammad visited this holy monastery on one of his trips as a merchant, and this is quite likely. So, when the Arabs conquered the Sinai Peninsula in 641, the monastery lived its usual life.
In the 11th century a mosque was built in it to win over less tolerant rulers. Under the Crusaders, the monastery experienced a period of revival, and when Egypt fell under the rule of the Ottoman Empire, the holy monastery received a new patron. The Turkish authorities did not infringe on the rights of the monks and even granted the abbot of the monastery a special status. Napoleon Bonaparte also patronized the monastery of the Holy Great Martyr Catherine, as stated in the Declaration exhibited in the gallery of icons. The Emperor of the French gave funds for the restoration of the northern wing of the monastery, damaged in 1798 by a strong storm.
On the territory of the monastery there is a shady garden, which is cultivated on soils brought by camels from the banks of the Nile.
The cathedral church is located in the center of the monastery; its vaults are supported by 16 marble columns, each of which contains the relics of the holy saints of God. The marble floor of the cathedral is covered with mosaics, and the entire interior of the church is designed with great splendor. The iconostasis of the temple, made in the 17th century. in Cyprus, and the side temples are decorated in accordance with the holiness of these places.
In total, there are five chapels in the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord; the main one - the chapel of the Burning Bush - is built behind the central altar in the very place where the angel of the Lord appeared to Moses in a flame of fire. The holy place of the appearance of the Burning Bush is covered with a silver icon with a chased image of a burning bush and the miracles of God performed here. The icon, illuminated by many precious unquenchable lamps, is located on the marble floor; above it, on four marble pillars, there is a throne, located in a hemispherical recess in the eastern side of the temple.
During divine services in the chapel of the Burning Bush, priests, out of respect for the shrine, always serve without shoes. And all believers, approaching this place, also reverently take off their shoes.
In the altar of the cathedral church, in a white marble shrine, under a canopy, rest the relics of the holy saints of God and the glorious Great Martyr Catherine. Her honest head is decorated with a golden wreath, and on her holy hand is a betrothal pledge (golden ring); these shrines are kept in a silver box decorated with precious stones.
In the chapel in the name of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in a cave under cover, rest the relics of Isaac the Syrian, Ephraim the Syrian and many others killed by the Saracens in Sinai and Raifa. The tomb of St. John Climacus is also located here, but the entrance to this cave is closed. Once upon a time, according to legend, the Bishop of Sinai wanted to inspect the cave and ordered the door to be opened. But the door did not budge, and when they began to break it, flames erupted from the cave and burned the bishop’s face. Since then, no one else dared to enter the cave, and the frightened bishop, in memory of what had happened, ordered an icon of the saints to be hung over the entrance.
In another chapel, pilgrims are shown the place where wooden oil flowed during the prayer of the holy fathers. But as soon as one of the servants dared to sell a particle to his visitors, it disappeared.
In 1871, the monk Grigorius built a belfry; it had 9 different bells - a gift from the Russian tsars, as well as a wooden bell (talanton), which was used before the advent of metal ones.
The brethren of the Sinai Monastery consisted of Greeks, Bulgarians, Moldavians and Russians. Over time, the number of monks began to decline, and at the end of the 19th century. there were no more than 50 people. The abbot lived almost constantly in Cairo and rarely visited the monastery; all the affairs of the monastery were managed by its abbot.
Sinai Monastery is a communal monastery. The monks receive all funds for their maintenance from Cairo; fish and dates are supplied to them in abundance from Raifa from their own farmstead, and olives and fruits from the monastery gardens.
On the territory of the monastery there is a well with fresh water - the same one where Moses rested after his exodus from Egypt. Here he drove away the shepherds who insulted the daughters of Jethro; watered their sheep, and then married one of Jethro’s daughters, Zipporah, and became his son-in-law.
A brotherly burial vault was built in the monastery garden. It contains the relics of the former gatekeeper of the monastery - St. Stephen (in a sitting position), as well as particles of the relics of two prince brothers who labored in the monastery of St. Catherine.
On the rocky Mount Horeb, southwest of Sinai, stands a small church in the name of the Ever-Virgin Economissa. The Most Holy Theotokos once appeared to the steward of the monastery and strengthened him in patience, since all the monastic brethren had already suffered hunger for several days. Not receiving food from Cairo, the monks already decided to leave the monastery. But soon after the appearance of the Mother of God, a caravan with food arrived at the monastery. In memory of this miracle, a church was built - on the very spot where the Most Holy Theotokos appeared to the saddened steward, who went outside the monastery to say goodbye to its surroundings.
One of the attractions of the monastery was its library, which contains about 3,500 ancient texts in Greek, Latin, Arabic and other languages. Experts believe that in terms of its value (pricelessness!) this collection is second only to the Vatican library. The oldest manuscript in the library is the Codex Sinaiticus, 5th century. (with a copy of the 7th or 8th centuries). Previously, the monastery library contained the even more valuable Codex Sinaiticus, a Greek manuscript of the 4th century. But in 1865, the German scientist Tischendorf took it on behalf of the Russian Tsar for a while to study. The Codex Sinaiticus was delivered to St. Petersburg, and it never returned to the monastery.
Another treasure of the Sinai Monastery is the collection of icons (2000), which have spiritual, historical and artistic value. Twelve of the oldest of them were painted with wax paints during the founding of the monastery itself; and the many lamps decorating the temples are gifts from monarchs of different countries.
Every day the monastery is visited by numerous pilgrims and tourists. Many of them climb the sacred mountain to watch the sunrise there. A path of 2000 steps leads to the top, where a Muslim mosque is located next to the prayer house of Moses. In the morning, pilgrims who came from all over the world begin to gather at the walls of the monastery. When the multilingual hubbub subsides, the monk opens a small door bound in iron, and everyone goes into the narrow monastery courtyard leading to the church.
The life of the monks of this monastery depends little on the outside world and proceeds as if in the distant past. Every morning at 3:45 am. The monks are awakened by the sounds of the monastery bell, which rings 33 times - one strike for each year of the earthly life of Jesus Christ.
The Sinai Monastery of St. Catherine the Great Martyr belongs to the Greek Orthodox Church and is an autonomous archdiocese. The archbishop is ordained by the Patriarch of Jerusalem.
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The Holy Great Martyr Catherine was the most educated girl of her time. She was born in the second half of the 3rd century, the daughter of the ruler of Alexandria of Egypt. By the age of 18, he had already thoroughly studied Roman and Greek literature and the art of medicine; in addition, the saint was amazingly beautiful, which was combined with her bright mind. All this attracted many young men - suitors. However, none of them received an affirmative answer.
Catherine declared that her husband would be someone who would surpass her in intelligence and beauty, but there were no such people...
The girl's father was a pagan, but her mother secretly accepted the Christian faith. She introduced the saint to the elder priest. He revealed to the girl that there is such a Bridegroom, fame, wealth and wisdom, whose merits are many times greater than hers. Handing the icon to the martyr, he advised her to pray to see that wonderful Bridegroom.
At night, the maiden saw the Heavenly Queen, surrounded by a host of angels and holding in her hands the Child, from whom such a bright light emanated that Catherine could not help but be surprised by the miracle. The youth, however, did not allow her to look at His face; he turned away, but condescending to the requests of the Most Pure Mother, he sent the girl to the elder to find out how she could be worthy of seeing the Savior.
The next morning, at the girl’s intense prayers, the elder baptized her. At night, during prayer, Catherine again saw the Divine Youth, but now His face was open to her gaze renewed by baptism. The Youth looked favorably and mercifully at the maiden. The Most Holy Mother took Catherine's hand, and Her Son Himself placed the ring on the ring finger of His bride's right hand. “Do not know an earthly bridegroom,” said the Most Holy Youth, and from that time Catherine knew that she was betrothed to God Himself.
The holy great martyr lived during the reign of the lawless pagan Emperor Maximian. On one of the frantic idolatry holidays, Catherine herself appeared to Maximilian and exposed his wickedness. Since the girl was very smart, neither the emperor nor his entourage could yield to her in a dispute about the truth. The angry emperor did not lose hope of dissuading the saint. He invited her to reign with him, to receive all the blessings of the world, but all this was in vain. During Maximilian’s departure, Catherine managed to convert the king’s wife to faith, who, upon returning, changed his mercy to anger and ordered the torment of Christ’s bride. Although the philosophers who argued with Catherine and Augusta, the king’s wife, believed, the emperor was in error.
The saint was beaten on her naked body with ox sinews for two hours, then starved in prison, but God healed her. Even the terrible weapons of execution - the wheels - fell apart when the martyr approached them. The enraged tormentor ordered to behead the rebellious woman with a sword. 200 soldiers, along with the martyr Porfiry, suffered along with Catherine.
When the warrior cut off the honest head of Catherine, milk flowed from the wound instead of blood. And this was seen by all the many people present at the execution site. At the same time, her honest remains were immediately hidden by the Angels, and remained in obscurity for almost 200-odd years.
It happened like this. Once, approximately in the 30-40s of the 6th century, the brethren of the Sinai monastery, located many hundreds of kilometers from Alexandria, were miraculously informed from above that the relics of the Holy Great Martyr Catherine rested incorruptibly next to their monastery. At the same time, the brethren received orders to transfer them to the newly created temple of the Sinai Monastery. The pious elders joyfully hurried to the mountain indicated to them not far from the monastery. This mountain was quite lofty; but the hermits, with the help of God, soon reached its peak, where they found the holy relics of the Great Martyr Catherine incorrupt and fragrant. Only Angels could put them on the top of this mountain.
The relics of St. Catherine were not completely recovered, but only her venerable head and left hand. These parts of the incorrupt body of the praiseworthy martyr of Christ were then solemnly transferred to the Sinai monastery, and still rest in this ancient monastery. In 1689, Russian Emperor Peter the Great donated a forged silver shrine to the Sinai monastery for the relics of St. Catherine.
Currently, the holy relics of the Great Martyr Catherine are preserved in a small marble shrine in the altar of the main temple of the Sinai monastery in the name of the Transfiguration of the Lord. The holy head of the bride of Christ is now covered with a golden crown, and a precious ring is put on her finger, in memory of St. Catherine’s betrothal to her Heavenly Bridegroom. In memory of the veneration of the relics, the monks give a silver ring with the emblem of the monastery, an image of a heart and the words ΑΓΙΑ ΑΙΚΑΤΕΡΙΝΑ (St. Catherine). Thin rings remind us that every soul is called to be the bride of Christ.
The memory of the Holy Great Martyr Catherine is honored throughout the Christian world with special reverence and solemnity. Churches are built in her honor, many monasteries are named after her. Also, many, many women around the world bear this God-glorified, through the Holy Great Martyr Catherine, ancient Greek name, which translates as “always pure.”
People turn to the Great Martyr Catherine for help in learning, in all sorts of ailments, but especially in family needs and diseases of childbirth. She is also considered the patroness of pregnant women.
The holy relics of the Great Martyr Catherine are located:
–Egypt, Sinai Peninsula, St. Catherine’s Monastery
Throne and icon of the Great Martyr Catherine:
– in the Church of the Placing of the Robe on Donskoy (Southern District)
Stone and ring from the hand of the Great Martyr Catherine:
– in the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity in Troitsky-Golenischev (Western district of Moscow)
Prayer
Holy Great Martyr Catherine
The most beautiful, wise, wonderful Virgin, Holy Great Martyr Catherine! Having completely studied all Hellenic wisdom, oratory and philosophy, and the science of medicine, having learned well, you desired more enlightenment, but having believed in Christ, in a vision you saw the Eternal Child in the arms of His Most Pure Mother, who gave you the ring of immortal betrothal to him. Having then endured fierce torment, severe blows and cruel wounds, and the darkness of prison, and the fragmentation of members on wheels, by the power of Christ you were healed from all this. Going to execution, you prayed thus, glorious great martyr: “Lord Jesus Christ! I will call upon those little ones, Your all-holy name, to fulfill in goodness the forgiveness of everything they need, so that Your greatness may be praised from all of them forever.” To the wives who are tormented by birth illnesses and who call on you for help, you, Saint Catherine, show your intercession; therefore, do not reject other wives who pray to you with love and reverence, and with warm faith and tears from the bottom of their hearts, rush to their aid and free them from difficult childbirth, so that having given birth to children, they raise them in the fear of God, thanking you, most glorious Catherine, for the help shown to them, and glorifying God for you, with all their house.
Amen
557 - construction of monastery walls
One of the oldest continuously operating Christian monasteries in the world. Founded in the 4th century in the center of the Sinai Peninsula at the foot of Mount Sinai (biblical Horeb) at an altitude of 1570 m. The fortified building of the monastery was built by order of Emperor Justinian in the 6th century. The inhabitants of the monastery are mainly Greeks of the Orthodox faith.
Initially it was called the Monastery of the Transfiguration or the Monastery of the Burning Bush. Since the 11th century, in connection with the spread of veneration of St. Catherine of Alexandria, whose relics were found by Sinai monks in the 8th century, the monastery received a new name - St. Catherine's Monastery.
History of the monastery
Base
The story about the Holy Places of the East, written at the end of the 4th century by the noble pilgrim Silvia (or Etheria), also tells about the monastic community that formed around the Burning Bush:
| It was necessary for us to go to the beginning of this valley because there were many cells of holy men there, and a church in the place where the bush is located: this bush is alive to this day and gives birth to offspring. And so, having descended from the mountain of God, we came to the bush at approximately ten o'clock. And this bush, as I said above, is the one from which the Lord spoke to Moses in the fire, and is located in an area where there are many cells and a church, at the beginning of the valley. And in front of the church there is a lovely garden, with an abundance of excellent water, and in this garden there is a bush. |
Buildings of Justinian the Great
The monastery received a further impetus for development in the 6th century, when Emperor Justinian I ordered the construction of powerful fortress walls that surrounded the previous buildings of St. Helena, and a church that has survived to this day, and also sent soldiers to Sinai to protect the monks. Justinian's construction is reported by his contemporary Procopius of Caesarea:
On this Mount Sinai live monks whose life consists of continuous reflection on death; fearing nothing, they enjoy the desert that is dear to them. Since they do not desire anything, and above all human passions they do not care about any acquisition and do not take care of their bodies and in all other respects do not want any benefit for themselves, then Emperor Justinian built a church for these monks in the name of the Mother of God, so that they could spend your life praying in this church and performing sacred services. He built this church not at the very top of the mountain, but much lower: it is impossible for a person to spend the night at the top of this mountain, since constant noises and all sorts of other phenomena causing religious fear are heard there during the night, striking the mind and will of a person with horror. They say that from here Moses once brought the laws he received from God. At the foot of this mountain, the emperor built a very strong fortification and placed a significant military garrison here so that the Saracen barbarians could not break into the region of Palestine completely unnoticed from here, since this country, as I said, was deserted.
Procopius of Caesarea. About buildings(Book 5:VIII)
Above the main monastery gate there is an inscription: “ From the foundation this sacred monastery of Mount Sinai was erected, where God spoke to Moses, the humble king of the Romans Justinian for the eternal remembrance of him and his wife Theodora. Finished after the thirtieth year of his reign. And an abbot named Dula was appointed in it in the year from Adam 6021, from Christ 527". Based on this inscription, the Russian scientist Bishop Porfiry (Uspensky) dated the completion of the construction of the monastery to 557.
The powerful monastery fortifications built by Justinian were maintained in good condition by the monks and delighted pilgrims:
It's time to enter the monastery... Do you see how the fortress wall is built - long, skillfully built, very revered? The king, nicknamed Justinian, paid for the costs, and it was built very diligently. It has a circumference of two hundred fathoms, and its height is nineteen and a half...
Paisios Agiapostolite.
Among the abbots of the monastery was John Climacus. Until the end of the 7th century, the monastery belonged to the Faran diocese and was headed by an abbot in the rank of archbishop (the antiquity of the Sinai archdiocese is evidenced by the materials of the Council of Chalcedon, where in “ Order of metropolises and archdioceses of the Apostolic See of the Holy City"in 24th place the archdiocese is mentioned" mountains of Sinai"). In 681, when the bishop of Faran was deprived of his see for monothelitism, the episcopal see was transferred to the monastery, and its abbot became the bishop of Faran. A little later, the diocese of Raito came under his control. At the beginning of the 8th century, all Christians of the Sinai Peninsula were under the jurisdiction of the Sinai archbishop.
Arab and Turkish conquests
The monastery, during the Arab conquest of Sinai in 625, sent a delegation to Medina to secure the patronage of the Prophet Muhammad. A copy of the safe conduct received by the monks - firman of Muhammad(the original has been kept in Istanbul since 1517, where it was reclaimed from the monastery by Sultan Selim I), exhibited in the monastery, proclaims that Muslims will protect the monastery, and also exempt it from paying taxes. The firman was written on the skin of a gazelle in Kufic handwriting and sealed with the handprint of Muhammad.
...may no bishop or priest be removed from their places, and may no monk be married from his monastery.
...may not a single one of their churches or chapels be destroyed, and may nothing belonging to their churches be used for the construction of mosques or Muslim houses .
Muhammad's safe conduct
However, despite the privileges received, the number of monks began to decline, and by the beginning of the 9th century there were only 30 of them left. With the spread of Islam in Egypt, a mosque appeared in the monastery, which has survived to this day: “ Behind the church there is a stone hut nearby, where Turks and Arabs worship Mohammed» .
Relations with Russia
The monastery maintained long-standing ties with Russia. In 1375, Metropolitan Macarius came to Moscow for alms for the monastery, and in 1390, an icon depicting the Burning Bush was brought from the St. Catherine’s Monastery as a gift to the great princes, which was placed in the Annunciation Cathedral of the Kremlin (first in the iconostasis, and then in the altar of others valuable icons received from the Eastern clergy).
Numerous Russian scientists have contributed to the study of the Sinai Monastery. The Russian hieromonk Samuil in 1837 was the first to clear and strengthen the 6th century mosaic “Transfiguration of the Lord”, which adorns the monastery’s catholicon. In 1887, researcher Alexey Dmitrievsky compiled a catalog of icons from the monastery collection and examined questions about the Cretan school of icon painting and the role of Sinai in the preservation of cultural traditions in the 16th-18th centuries. The Orthodox Palestine Society played a major role in the study of the monastery of St. Catherine, publishing Russian and Greek materials about these places.
Current state
The Monastery of St. Catherine is the center of the autonomous Sinai Orthodox Church, which, in addition to this monastery, owns only a number of monastic farmsteads: 3 in Egypt and 14 outside Egypt - 9 in Greece, 3 in Cyprus, 1 in Lebanon and 1 in Turkey (Istanbul).
The affairs of the monastery are currently managed by a general meeting of monks, which decides economic, political and other issues. The decisions of the Meeting are implemented Council of Fathers, which includes four people: the deputy and assistant archbishop, the monastery sacristan, the housekeeper and the librarian.
The monastery, as before, is a traditional place of Christian pilgrimage. Every day after hours, believers are given access to the relics of St. Catherine. In memory of the veneration of the relics, the monks give a silver ring with an image of a heart and words ΑΓΙΑ ΑΙΚΑΤΕΡΙΝΑ (St. Catherine).
Monastic buildings
Basilica of the Transfiguration
Mosaic Transfiguration framed by medallions with sixteen half-figures of apostles and prophets. In the center of the composition is the monumental figure of Jesus Christ, enclosed in an azure mandorla, which is connected by rays of divine light with the figures of the prophets and three disciples, made on a shimmering golden background. On the sides of the mosaic on the apse arch there are two images of the prophet Moses: standing in front of the Burning Bush (left) and receiving the Tablets of the Covenant at Sinai (right). The apse is also decorated with medallions with images of a lamb between two flying angels, the Virgin Mary and John the Baptist.
The basilica's mosaics delighted pilgrims and are mentioned in various descriptions of the monastery:
Look first of all at the entire vastness of the conkha and at the host of prophets standing around on high. There, in the dome, a host of prophets, shining in gold, together with the apostles, is clearly depicted, through mosaics and gold mixed with lapis lazuli, scarlet, red and purple. In the middle is the venerable Transfiguration, painted with exquisite art, along with a cloud.
Paisios Agiapostolite. Description of the Holy Mount Sinai and its surroundings
Mosaic Transfiguration was cleaned of dirt and soot by American restorers in 1965. For viewing from the central nave, the mosaic is covered by a wooden carved iconostasis of the 17th century, but from the side naves at the altar level the mosaic is accessible for viewing.
Library
The library in the monastery was created only in 1734 under Archbishop Nikifor; before that time, no work was carried out to study books and manuscripts. Russian pilgrim A. Umanets, who visited the monastery in 1843, writes about the state of the library:
« ...is in a special small room with shelves around the walls. The books on the shelves are located in complete disorder, in some places piled up in heaps, and it is very noticeable that the people who sometimes sorted them out were not the local owners, but were in a hurry to finish this sorting as quickly as possible, and therefore threw them anywhere: the work, no doubt, of travelers, of whom everyone, not at all concerned about maintaining order here, and being the hundredth visitor to the library, sorted through the books in turn with the desire and hope of finding some hitherto unknown manuscript, and by hook or by crook, taking it with them» .
This situation contributed to the looting of the collection; in particular, the Codex Sinaiticus, one of the oldest texts of the Bible, was taken from the monastery.
Part of the monastery collection dates back to the early Byzantine period up to the 10th century (including Syro-Palestinian icons from the 8th-9th centuries). These icons were made by Greek, Georgian, Syrian and Coptic masters. The icons were preserved, since the monastery, being outside the Byzantine Empire since the 7th century, did not suffer from iconoclasm. There are few works of Western European writing in the collection, but there are unique icons from the period of the Crusades, combining the features of “ Western Latin" And " Greek Byzantinism» .
The only icon revered as miraculous in the monastery is a 13th-century triptych depicting the Virgin Mary Bematarissa with scenes from the cycle of the Theotokos. The icon does not have a separate day of celebration and a special service; it is located in the altar of the catholicon to the left of the high place.
| Christ Pantocrator, one of the oldest icons of Christ, 6th century | Apostle Peter, encaustic icon, 6th century | Virgin Mary on the throne, 7th century | Abgar receives the Image Not Made by Hands from the Apostle Thaddeus, late 10th century | |||
Influence
see also
Notes
- Monastery of Saint Catherine in Egypt (undefined)
The Sinai Monastery is one of the oldest continuously operating Christian monasteries in the whole world. It was founded in the 4th century in the central part of the Sinai Peninsula near the biblical Mount Horeb (Sinai). Initially, this monastery was called the Monastery of the Transfiguration or the Burning Bush. In the 11th century, the veneration of St. Catherine, whose relics were found by the Sinai monks in the middle of the 6th century, began to spread more and more, so the monastery received its second name - the monastery of St. Catherine.
On the Sinai Peninsula, the first monks began to appear during the persecution of Emperor Diocletian, since the Sinai mountain range was a convenient refuge and also had all the necessary resources for life on the peninsula. These monks were mostly hermits who gathered for services on Sundays. When Christianity became the state religion, at the request of the monks of the peninsula, the mother of Emperor Constantine, Saint Helena, built a church and towers for protection from nomads. Later, under Emperor Justinian, all the buildings of St. Helena were surrounded by walls, and soldiers were assigned to them. Around the same time, the Basilica of the Transfiguration of the Lord was erected on the territory of the monastery.
It was in the VI-VII centuries. The Sinai Monastery flourished, which became one of the centers of Christian monasticism. Presumably, about 100 monks lived on Mount Horeb at that time. Until the end of the 7th century, this monastery belonged to the Faran diocese, and was headed by an abbot in the rank of archbishop. But in 681, the Bishop of Faran was deprived of his see for being a monothelitist, so the see was moved to the monastery itself. Afterwards, the Raifa diocese also came under the authority of the Sinai abbot, and from the beginning of the 8th century, the entire Sinai Peninsula was administratively subordinate to the Sinai archbishop.
During the Muslim conquests in the 30s. In the 7th century, the entire peninsula became part of the Arab Caliphate. The monks of the Sinai monastery sent a delegation that enlisted the support of Muhammad, who promised to preserve the autonomy of this monastery and grant various privileges - protection of the monastery buildings by Muslim soldiers, exemption from taxes. The Arab period of the existence of the Sinai monastery is also considered the time of development of the Byzantine monastic tradition. In particular, at this time such famous saints as St. John Climacus, St. George Arcelait, Rev. Anastasy Sinait and others. However, despite this protection from the Muslims, the Sinai monastery in the Arab era significantly decreased in number, and by the 9th century (this time is considered a crisis of the Middle Eastern Christian culture of the Byzantine type) the size of the community of the Sinai monastery was only 30 monks.
The time of the Crusades (late 11th - late 12th centuries) is considered a revival of the life of the Sinai monastery. The Sinai Order of the Crusaders, which existed at that time, guarded the European pilgrims of the monastery. At the same time, the first Catholic chapel appeared in the monastery. But at the same time, Sinai was actually the only diocese of the Jerusalem Patriarchate that was not subordinated to the power of the crusaders. The legend about the transfer of the relics of St. to the monastery dates back to the same period. Catherine. And in the XIII-XV centuries. the new name (the monastery of St. Catherine), due to the constantly increasing veneration of the holy great martyr, supplanted the previous one.
Starting from the 14th century, the Sinai monastery began to maintain constant ties with Russia, which allowed it to accept significant help and alms from the Russian tsars.
The Turks, who captured Egypt in 1517, did not reduce the rights of the monks and retained the internal autonomy of the monastery, but at the same time imposed a fairly serious tax burden on the monastery. Connections with the Orthodox world allowed the Sinai Monastery to carry out educational and cultural activities, thanks to which a theological school was opened in Crete in the 18th century. The monastery's farmsteads were also opened in many countries - Egypt, Turkey, Palestine, Romania, India and Russia.
In the 19th century, the number of inhabitants of the monastery ranged from 20 to 30 people, mostly Greeks from the Aegean islands. At the beginning of the 20th century, the number of inhabitants decreased, and in 1902 only 17 monks lived there. After the October Revolution, the monastery lost all its farmsteads in Russia. In the second third of the 20th century, the Church of the Holy Trinity was completed in the Sinai Monastery, an art gallery and a hotel for pilgrims were built.
In the second half of the 20th century, due to military operations, the monastery was occupied several times. Due to the fire that occurred during the fighting, the northern wall of the monastery was damaged.
Currently, the monastery of St. Catherine is the center of the autonomous Sinai Orthodox Archdiocese. In addition to this monastery, it includes a number of monastic farmsteads in Egypt, Greece, Cyprus, Lebanon and Turkey. The abbot of the monastery, in accordance with ancient tradition, is the Archbishop of Sinai, whose consecration is performed by the Patriarch of Jerusalem. The affairs of the monastery are managed by a collection of monks.
The main buildings of the monastery are the Basilica of the Transfiguration of the Lord (the main church of the monastery), the Chapel of the Burning Bush, and the refectory (built in the 9th century). On the territory of the monastery there are also many other chapels that are located inside the monastery walls. Ten of them are connected to the architectural complex of the Basilica of the Transfiguration of the Lord. Also inside the walls of the monastery there is the well of Moses, which still supplies the monastery with water, next to which, according to Tradition, the prophet-god-seer met the seven daughters of the Midian priest Raguel.
The monastery has a unique collection of ancient manuscripts and icons (among which is the famous icon of “Christ Pantocrator”), which in its historical significance is second only to the collection of the Vatican Apostolic Library. In 2001, a new sacristy-museum building was opened, housing the most valuable icons, church utensils and vestments. This museum was consecrated by three patriarchs - Bartholomew of Constantinople, Peter VII of Alexandria and Irenaeus of Jerusalem.
In 2002, the complex of buildings of the monastery of St. Catherine was included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites.
The Monastery of St. Catherine is perhaps the most ancient Christian monastery on the planet. It was built almost one and a half millennia ago, around it are Mount Moses, Mount Safsara and Mount Catherine. This holy place welcomes thousands of tourists every year, and since 2002 it has officially been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
History of construction
The temple was founded in the 6th century AD under the Emperor of Constantinople Justinian. Largely due to the fact that the monastery of St. Catherine in Sinai was under the patronage of the Prophet Muhammad himself and the Arab rulers, it was not plundered during the Arab conquest of the area and subsequent military conflicts. In the 10th century, a mosque was built on the territory of the temple, and it was thanks to this legendary fact that it survived until the 21st century. If not for this, St. Catherine's Monastery would have been demolished.
It is worth noting the fact that throughout its existence, the monastery of St. Catherine has never been looted, destroyed or even damaged. In numerous photographs you can easily see how perfectly preserved this ancient structure is.
Many Christians specially go to the Sinai temple to see the Burning Bush - according to the Biblical legend, this is the place where the Lord God first appeared before Moses. In 324, a chapel was erected here.
For many centuries, the Monastery of St. Catherine has maintained close ties with Russian Christianity. This is reflected in the interior decoration of the temple: here you can see the familiar bells, faces of saints, ancient books and church items.
Who is Saint Catherine
The real name of this saint is Dorothea. She was born in the Egyptian city of Alexandria in 294 AD. Her family was quite rich, so the girl received an excellent education, and, in addition, she was very beautiful. One day a Syrian monk told her about Jesus. The girl was so inspired that she converted to Christianity, and then tried to convert Emperor Maximius himself to the Christian faith. This only angered the ruler - he ordered Dorothea to be exiled to Alexandria, and some time later executed. Her body was not found - it disappeared mysteriously. More than 300 years passed when the monks climbed Mount Sinai and there they found the remains of a girl, who were transferred to the Sinai temple. Since then, the highest mountain on the peninsula has been named after Catherine.
Buildings of the Monastery of St. Catherine
The Monastery of St. Catherine today looks the same as it did 14 centuries ago, and only in 1951 another building was added to it. It now houses the monastery library, gallery of icons, refectory and residence of the archbishop. On the territory of the temple there are 12 chapels - the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. George the Victorious, the Holy Spirit, John the Baptist, John the Theologian and others. The main entrance to the monastery is currently closed. For monks, tourists and pilgrims there is a door located to the left of the main entrance. You can easily find out what the main and secondary entrances look like by looking at the photo of the monastery.
- Church
The Church of St. Catherine is made of granite and its appearance resembles an oblong basilica. On both sides there are corridors with a vestibule and an apse. The basilica is supported by 12 columns, which symbolize each month of the year. Above each of the columns rises an icon corresponding to the saint who is venerated in a particular month. The floor is paved with marble slabs. On the capitals there are flags, crosses, bunches of grapes and lambs, which, according to tradition, personify Jesus Christ. In general, the church's architectural style resembles the style of the Italian school of that time. - Mosaic of the Transfiguration
The Catholicon, the most important church of the monastery, is decorated with mosaics depicting the Transfiguration of Jesus. This is one of the most beautiful mosaics of the Orthodox Church, which has survived to this day. In its center is Jesus Christ, to the right and left are Elijah and Moses, at the feet are John, Peter, and Jacob.
- Chapel of the Burning Bush
The chapel is located behind the main altar. It is dedicated to the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary. Pilgrims must enter here barefoot, as this is stated in one of God’s commandments to Moses. Another attraction that the monastery of St. Catherine, located in Sinai, has is the Bush of the Burning Bush. It grows near the chapel. It is noteworthy that it cannot grow in another place - they tried to transplant it, but these attempts were unsuccessful. - Library
The Monastery of St. Catherine, or rather its library, has three thousand manuscripts - such a quantity and value can only be compared with the library in the Vatican. Most of them are written in Greek, the rest in Arabic, Coptic, Syriac and Slavic. - Gallery of icons
The cathedral has a unique collection, which includes 150 icons of enormous historical, artistic and spiritual value. There are ancient icons here, painted in wax during the reign of the Byzantine ruler Justinian.
Information for tourists
The Monastery of St. Catherine is available for visits every day - the church is open from 9 to 12 noon. During the excursion, tourists are introduced to the history of the monastery. They also visit chapels and, of course, the Burning Bush.
The Monastery of St. Catherine is located in Sinai - approximately 170 km from the city of Sharm el-Sheikh. The bus leaves from there every day at 6 am and returns at 6 pm. The excursion can be booked at the hotel or in the city itself; it costs approximately $50 for an adult, $25 for a child.
